Upholstery installation



May 27, 1930.

R. F. WALTERS 1,760,260 UPHOLSTE-RY INSTALLATION Filed July 24, 1924 Eig.1. oH/5-o 0 /5-o G' 850 O O o 0 O O o 9 O O o 0 O O Invnioz" B0 230 FWaZi/ers.

Patented May 27, 1930 ROLLO r. war/runs,

UNITED-CARR-FASTENER CORPORATION, OF

IPOBATION OF MASSACHUSETTS OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A COB- UrnonsrERY INSTALLATION Application med July 24,

This invention aims to provide an improved upholstery installation and an improved fa'stener element for use in connection therewith.

Reference is made to a divisional application Serial No. 11,704, filed February 26, 1925.

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred and a modified form of my invent1on:

Figure 1 is an elevation view of a door of an automobile showing the frame and the stud-receiving apertures therein Fig. 2 is an elevation view .of the backing of an upholstered part, showing the studs secured thereto;

Fig. 3 is a section through the door frame and upholstered part, showing the stud partly in elevation;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view of a portion of the upholstered part as viewed from that side thereof at which the stud heads are presented;

Fig. 5 is an elevation view of the preferred form of shiftable stud; V

Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on the line 66 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 7 is a section similar to that shown in Fig. 6 showing the modified form of stud- I secured to the upholstered part; 7

Fig. 8 is an elevatioh of the modified form of stud; and

Fig. 9 is an elevation of the modified form of stud, as viewed fromthe oppositeside from that shown in Fig. 8.

' Referring to the preferred form of my invention, as illustrated in Fig. 1. through 6, I have shown an automobile door, an upholstered part for covering the inside of the door and separable fastener means for securing the upholstered part to the door.

Heretofore the fastener elements have been rigidly secured to the frame pf the door and to the upholstered part and some difficulty has been encountered in registering the fastener elements on the upholstered part with the fastener elements on the door frame. To remedy this difliculty, I have provided, as illustrated, a plurality of shiftable studs 10- catcd on one of the parts for engagement with rigid. socket means on the other part,

backing) as card of the backing by an I shown, each -stud unit which may be easily, accurately secured in the proper relation to a the aperture and for holding 1924 Serial No. 727,960.

thereby permitting perfect alignment of any of the studs with their cooperating sockets. Thus the upholstered part may be secured to the door without difliculty and the edges of the upholstered part may be properly lined up with the edges of the door.

Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, I have shown an upholstered part which includes a 1 of relatively stifi' material such oard or the like,constituting a form which is provided with aplurality of holes 2 adjacent the edges thereof, and a plurality of shiftablestuds cooperating with the holes 2. These studs are secured to the front face attaching plate 3, and their heads are presented, through the holes 2, at the opposite face thereof for cooperation with the stud-receiving means on the part to be upholstered.

In the preferred form of my invention illustrated, each stud is provided with an attaching plate, herein serving as a base loosely carrying the stud without corresponding shifting of the base. "Two, types of attaching plate are providing portions overlying and underlying thebase flange of the stud.

Each stud is assembled with its attaching plate 3 at the factory, thereby to provide a quickly and hole 2 in the backing of the upholstered part, by the use of proper dies for registry with the stud-attaching plate. The stud and attaching plate I term collectively a stud-unit.

The socket-engaging part of the stud unit is pressed from a'single sheet of metal and is provided with a base flange 4, a shank portion 5, a head 6 and a neck 7 between the head and shank portion. The head, neck and shank portions are rendered resiliently contractible by a plurality of slots, herein shown as three, which preferably, as illustrated-extend to or slightly into the base of the stud.

In the preferred form of my invention shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6, the attaching plate of metal, presents a smooth bottom, an upstanding peripheral wall 8, a plurality of stud to permit shifting of the 3, which is pressed from a single sheet I stud-retainin prongs 9 and attaching prongs 10 extending rom the wall 8.

the base of the stud, thereby holding the stud and attaching plate in assembled relation even prior to assembly with the backing, as best shown in Fig. 6.

As illustrated, the diameter of the base portion 4 of the stud is less than the diameter of the attaching plate and the short prongs 9 do not extend to the shank portion 5 of the stud, thus permitting free lateral movement of the stud in any direction relative to the attaching plate.

Assembly of a stud with the backing 1 is effected preferably by dies (not shown) which align the attaching plate 3 with a hole in the backing and force the attaching prongs 10 through the backing, where they are upset against the opposite face thereof, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The holes in the backing are somewhat larger in diameter than the diameters of the shanks of the studs, thereby permitting sufficient free movement of the studs in any lateral direction relative to the backing to compensate for variation in the exact" positioning of the stud-receiving apertures in the door or other part to be covered by the upholstery installation.

The advantages of securing the stud to the front face of the backing instead of the back face are, firstly, that for the same projection beyond the face of the installation, a shank portion 5 of considerably greater length may be used, thereby affording an opportunity for greater resiliency of the head of the stud and, secondly, that the strain exerted on the stud when it is separated from the socket to which it is secured, is taken by a considerable area of the backing and not by the prongs as when the studs aresecured to the back face of the back ing. The smooth bottoms of the studs, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6', promote smoothness of the covering 11 in the completed upholstery installation and permit the studs to be pressed into engagement with their sockets without injury to the covering 11,.which conceals the studs from view.

When the studs are all secured to the baclc ing 1, a padding 12 is placed over the backing to improve the appearance of the edge of the upholsteredpart and to provide a surface which is generally in line with the bottoms of the stud-attaching bases. Thus the covering 11 of cloth, leather or the like is stretched smoothly and evenly over the outer face of the backing and its edges are secured to the inner face of the backing, thereby providing a neat upholstered finish covering the outer face of the backing.

the flanges bent invention, illustrated in Figs.

my invention.

apertured to permit passage of The door 13, to which the upholstered part is secured, may be, as illustrated, formed of sheet metal and preferably presents at the inner face thereof, adjacent the periphery, a metal frame 14 having a plurality of stud-receiving apertures 15 punched or drilled therethrough for reception of the heads of the studs located on the upholstered part.

The upholstered part may be applied to the door by pressing the heads 6 of the studs into the stud-receiving apertures, thereby holding the upholstered part tightly against the frame of the door.

If any stud does not register with its cooperating aperture in the frame, the stud may be shifted, by the use of a suitable tool inserted between the frame and the upholstered part, until it is in proper position to be pressed into engagement with its cooperating aperture. This adjustability of the posi tions of the studs is particularly important where the sheet metal door covering and the flanges providing the frame 14 are integral, over after the holes therein are punched. In such case, because of unequal stretching of the metal, the stud-receiving apertures are exceedingly likely to be slightly out of their desired positions. However, the capability of the studs to shift is desirable, even when the door frame or other carrying part is drilled in a jig, and the backing punched in a similar jig. \Vhere the upholstered part is used as a covering for some thing other than a door, and particularly where it is used with a heavily padded covering, the shiftability of the studs becomes even more essential.

Referring now to the modified form of my have shown a fastener unitincluding a stud substantially as shown and described in connection with the preferred embodiment of The attaching part 17, in this instance, has its body seated against-the backing, the body the stud therethrough, while providing substantial clearance to permit lateral shifting of the. stud. The metal surrounding the aperture is thrown up to provide a tubular rivet 18 which may be clenched against the opposite face of the backing. The rivet may or may not be of a character to punch its own hole in the backing, but preferably fits the hole "relatively closely so that the backing is strongly reinforced, as by a ommet.

The stud is held in'the stud-attaching part by stud-retaining prongs 20 overlying the base flange of the stud at the opposite side thereof from the stud. In the preferredembodiment shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 the prongs 20 project from an upstanding peripheral wall surrounding the body of the attaching part, the edge of this wall, in conjunction 7 through 9, I.

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be freely shifted in may be applied in a similar manner to scribed in relation to the preferred form ofmy invention.

Notice is hereby given of the fact; that,

claims generic to my present application are being prosecuted in my application Serial No. 727,955, filed on the same date as this application.

While I have shown and described my invention in connection with application of an upholstered part to the door of an automobile, it should be understood other surfaces Where a neatly finished upholstered part is required. The illustrations of my invention and the description thereof are merely for clarification and not for limitation, my invention being best defined in the appended claims;

I claim:

1. In a trimming installation, the com-' bination of a frame, a trim part and a fastener securing said frame and trim part together, said fastener comprising a stud secured to one part of said installation, studreceiving meanson the other art of said installation receiving said 'stu holding the stud in assembly with one part of the installation while permitting the stud to any direction in one plane for alignment with said stud-receiving means. i

2. An upholstered part including a relatively stiff form and a plurality of. fastener elements secured in laterally shiftable rela'- tion to said form for securing said upholstered part in proper position upon a frame part, each of said fastener elements including a casing part secured to said upholstered part and a snap fastener part shiftable laterally in said casing for cooperative engagement with a fastener element presented by the frame part.

3. An upholstered part including a form of relatively stiff material, a plurality of resilient socket-engaging studs mounted thereon, said studs being freely shiftable in any transverse direction in one plane relative thereto, a covering for said form andattaching means holding said studs in place upon said form, While permitting free lateral movement of said studs.

4. An upholstered backing for application that upholstery and a casingholding element secured side thereof at one of said holes, a shiftable stud member extending from said attaching plate through said hole and presenting a socket-engaging head at the opposite side of said backing, said head being shiftable laterally in any direction relative thereto, and flex-- ible covering means concealing said attaching means.

5. An upholstered, part comprising, in combination, a relatively still backing having an aperture therethrough, a stud having a base flange larger thansaid aperture, attaching means assembled with said base and holding said stud in said aperture,-a 1 rotruding stud portion projecting from said ase flange and presenting a head, a neck and a shank, said shank located in the plane of said backing and of a size substantially smaller than said aperture, said head and neck of said stud projecting from the opposite side of said backing from which said base flange is located, whereby said stud may shift laterally in any direction relative to said backing to compensate for errors in alignment with a cooperating stud-receiving part presented by a frame to which the upholstered part may be attached.

6. An upholstered part comprising, in combination, a backing having an aperture therethrough, an attaching plate secured to the outer face of said backing by a tubular rivet extending through said apertureand clenched against the inner 'face'of said backing, a socket-engaging stud" and means wherebysaid stud isheld loosely assembled with said attaching plate, said stud having a portion extending through said tubular rivet for. cooperative engagement with a socket.

. 7. 'An upholstery installation comprising,

in combination, a frame part, a relatively stifl' upholstered part and fastening means securing the upholstered part to part, said fastening means comprising a studin fixed relation to said upholstered part, and a stud loosely assaid frame Y sembled with said stud-holding element to permit limited transverse shifting of said stud relative to said element in all directions in a plane generally parallel to the plane of .said upholstered part for alignment with a stud-receiving aperture presented by said frame part.

' 8. An upholstery installation comprising, in combination, a rame part, an upholstered part and fastening means securing the upholstered part to said frame part, said fastening means comprising a stud-holding element secured in fixed relation to said upholstered part and a stud loosely assembled with said stud-holding element to permit,

transverse shifting of said stud in any direc tion relative to said element, in a plane generally parallel to the plane of said upholstered part for alignment with a stud-receiving aperture presented by said frame part.

9. An upholstery installation comprising, in combination, a frame part, a relatively stifi' upholstered part and separable fastener elea,

ment's securing the upholstered part to the frame, one of the separable fastener elements comprising a unit including a casing secured in fixed relation to said upholstered part, and

a stud part assembled with said casing, said stud being shiftable in any transverse direction in one plane relative to said casing and said upholstered part for alignment with socket means presented by said frame part.

10. An upholstery installation comprising, in combination, a frame part, a relatively stiif upholstered part and separable fastener elements securing the upholstered part to the frame, one of the separable fastener elements comprising, in combination, a unit including a casing secured in fixed relation to said upholstered part, and a stud part assembled with said casing, said stud being shift-able in any transverse direction in one plane relative to said casing and said upholstered part for alignment with socket means presented by saidframe part, said casing being em bedded within said upholstered part,

11. An upholstered part including a form of relatively stifl' material, a plurality of resilient socket-engaging studs mounted, thereon and shiftable relative thereto, a covering for said form and attaching means for holding said studs in place prior to securing said covering to saidform, said means permitting free transverse movement of said studs in any direction relative to said form.

12. In a trimming installation, the combination of a frame, a trim part and separable fastening means securing said frame and trim part together, said separable fastening means comprising an attaching part secured to one part of said installation, a snap fastener memberassembled with the attaching part and an instrur'nentality on the other part of said installation engaging said snap fastening member and means provided partly by the said attaching part and partly by the fas- 1 tener member assembled therewith whereby the snap fastening member may be freely shifted in any direction in one plane for alignment with said instrumentality.

In testimony Whereofil have signed my name to this specification.

ROLLO F. WALTERS. 

